Golden Spoon Investment Portfolio - Chapter 167

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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167. This is your last chance to buy at a bargain price.

The next day.
With just one day left before the one-week deadline, Seok-won received a call from SoftBank and met Jo Jung-gwang again in a private Japanese restaurant at Walkerhill Hotel, accompanied by Landon Shore.
Jo Jung-gwang, seated beside Yokouchi Tsuyoshi with a heavy expression, stared intently at Seok-won across from him before letting out a low sigh and speaking first.

“I knew from our first meeting that you weren’t someone to be trifled with, but this past week has made me acutely aware of just how formidable an opponent you are.”
“That’s an interesting thing to say.”
“I discovered that you’ve accumulated 5% of our company’s shares.”

Rather than moving covertly behind the scenes, I had purchased the shares openly, and the large-scale transactions had caused SoftBank’s stock price to surge significantly over several days.
If SoftBank’s IR team hadn’t detected such unusual activity, there would be a serious problem with their competence.

“A few days ago, Christopher Alexander, the Microsoft president and my long-time business partner, called to suggest that working together with you would be more advantageous for business than fighting you.”

Jo Jung-gwang sipped his tea and asked Seok-won, who was listening with his usual composed demeanor.

“I assume that was also your doing.”

Seok-won, having no intention of hiding it, responded with his characteristic expression.

“As I mentioned before, it’s better to join hands and pursue mutual benefit rather than engage in conflict. That’s why I sought his assistance.”

Jo Jung-gwang felt the words “you mean pressure, not assistance” rise to his throat, but he swallowed them back down.
In reality, Christopher Alexander had pointed out that the Eldorado Fund was a major shareholder holding 2% of Microsoft’s shares and an important business partner, and had implied that if friction arose between the two companies, maintaining the exclusive distribution agreement with SoftBank could become difficult.
Since Microsoft product sales accounted for 80% of the company’s revenue last year alone, losing the exclusive distribution rights would be nothing short of catastrophic for SoftBank.
Because of this, Jo Jung-gwang completely abandoned his plan to contact Lycos as a backup option.

“I didn’t expect you to exploit weaknesses so thoroughly.”
“I’ll take that as a compliment.”

Seok-won asked while maintaining his smile.

“So the fact that you called for this meeting today means you’ve made your decision, doesn’t it?”

Jo Jung-gwang met his gaze with a stern expression instead of answering.

“Before we proceed, there’s something I’d like to ask.”
“Go ahead.”

Suspicion flickered in Jo Jung-gwang’s eyes as he studied Seok-won intently.

“What was your intention behind acquiring those shares?”

Seok-won shrugged casually and replied with ease.

“Your company possesses a stable cash cow through software sales and is rapidly expanding into the internet sector as a new venture. I invested early after recognizing your growth potential.”
“Is that truly all?”

Jo Jung-gwang let out a small, dismissive snort.
Seok-won’s smile vanished, and his voice dropped to something far more dangerous.

“Of course, depending on circumstances, these shares could become a sharp blade aimed at the throat of my prey.”

The sudden shift in Seok-won’s demeanor caught even the seasoned Jo Jung-gwang off guard. He reflexively tensed, his throat tightening as he swallowed hard.
Realizing his weakness a moment too late, he forced his spine straight, but the damage was done—his resolve had already crumbled.
Judging that further negotiation would yield nothing, Jo Jung-gwang quickly presented the compromise he had prepared.

“You’re applying considerable pressure. If I adjust the joint venture ratio to 6-4 in your favor and promise to liquidate all accumulated shares, I’ll accept your proposal.”

But Seok-won shook his head without hesitation the moment he heard the offer.

“50-50. Not a single share less. And I’m keeping my SoftBank stake as well.”

Jo Jung-gwang’s brow furrowed at such an unyielding stance.

“A portal service requires massive investment—from server infrastructure to preparation and operations. A 50-50 split is hardly favorable for you, is it?”
“We’re prepared to contribute our share of the investment capital. Since this is a joint venture, shouldn’t we divide the shares equally, 50-50? That’s the most ideal arrangement.”

Seok-won answered smoothly, though his thoughts ran darker.

‘What nonsense. I know full well that even with a 50-50 split, you planned to stab me in the back and seize the company through underhanded schemes. Why would I hand over more shares?’

Jo Jung-gwang’s expression grew troubled as he absorbed the response.

“If we do that, it will be difficult to manage the joint venture efficiently.”
“Then I’ll hand over all management personnel authority except for the auditor to your side. That shouldn’t pose any problems, should it?”

When Seok-won yielded the joint venture’s management rights so easily, Jo Jung-gwang, who had been trying every which way to adjust the equity stakes under the guise of efficiency, found himself at a loss for words.
In truth, from Seok-won’s perspective, he was simply offloading tedious work—there was nothing to lose.
Establishing a joint venture wasn’t the end; it meant literally starting from scratch to pioneer a new portal service market in Japan, and he saw no reason to undertake such grueling, bothersome labor.

‘I just need to keep my equity stake firmly in hand and extract the profits as they come.’

In any case, Jo Jung-gwang, blindsided by this unexpected maneuver, furrowed his brow in frustration.
It was unreasonable to keep demanding equity adjustments after he had coolly conceded management authority.
Yet Jo Jung-gwang couldn’t simply retreat empty-handed; he gritted his teeth and pressed the issue.

“Then why won’t you sell the shares you’ve accumulated? Do you have some ulterior motive?”
“Surely not. You seem overly sensitive.”
“Well—”

Jo Jung-gwang was about to say something, but Seok-won seized the moment first.

“As I understand it, even after the company’s listing, you still hold nearly 30% of the shares. Add to that various friendly stakes, and you’d have no trouble maintaining control. What exactly are you worried about?”
“….”
“In fact, if we join hands through this deal, you’ll gain an additional 5% in friendly stakes. That’s a gain, isn’t it?”

Jo Jung-gwang let out a low, bitter laugh and made a face as if he’d bitten into something foul.
He wanted to counter, but he couldn’t find a single flaw in the argument.
Seok-won watched his opponent with a leisurely smile.
The tug-of-war continued for some time after that, but ultimately they reached a final agreement to split the joint venture’s equity 50-50, just as Seok-won had originally proposed.
In addition to the exclusive rights, he committed to an additional investment of 50 million dollars, but considering the profits Yahoo Japan would generate going forward, this was easily manageable.

* * *

Having concluded the investment contract as desired, Seok-won left the office a bit earlier than usual and returned home.

“I’m home.”

As he stepped through the entrance, he noticed the living room was bustling and tilted his head in confusion.
Portable clothing racks laden with garments filled the living room, and the table was covered with luxury handbags and jewelry.
Shoe boxes were piled high on the floor as well, making it look as though a luxury department store boutique had been transplanted into his home.

“Oh my! Young Master has arrived.”

A beautiful woman stood before a full-length mirror, examining herself from different angles while attended by a Midopa Department Store employee in uniform, spoke in a delighted voice.
It was my sister-in-law, Choi Bo-kyung.
She was the protagonist of a story that had caused quite a sensation—a celebrated actress who had dominated advertisements and films as the hottest star in Chungmuro before marrying into a chaebol family.
True to her reputation as the most beautiful actress of her era, she had retired from entertainment and even given birth to a child, yet she maintained a beauty and figure that still drew admiration.

“Sister-in-law, it’s been a while.”
“It really has. How is it so difficult to see your face?”

Choi Bo-kyung smiled brightly as she spoke to me.
Dressed in a soft pink blouse and a flared skirt with layered lace fabric, Choi Bo-kyung made one almost believe this was a fashion photoshoot location.

“You came home early today.”

Jo Deok-rye, who had been sitting on the sofa watching her daughter-in-law’s fashion show, set down her teacup and spoke.

“Yes. I finished my work a bit early.”

I glanced around and asked.

“What is all this?”
“They said new items came in this season, so I’m taking a look.”

Jo Deok-rye answered with an unbothered expression.
I had heard that a select few VVIPs sometimes had luxury boutiques send representatives to their homes instead of visiting in person, and this was apparently one of those cases.
Well, Jo Deok-rye wasn’t just any VVIP—she was the owner’s wife of Midopa Department Store, so it was only natural that a simple phone call would have employees bringing luxury new items wrapped up to her home.

“Then I’ll head upstairs.”
“Have you eaten dinner?”
“I’ll eat together when Father arrives.”
“Very well.”

Holding a briefcase in one hand, I gave a small bow to my sister-in-law and made my way to the second-floor room.

“Mother, I think this bag looks nice. What do you think?”

Choi Bo-kyung walked over through the scattered shoe boxes on the floor, asking warmly.
What she held was a mini-sized handbag with a slightly rounded bottom and handles and clasp made of bamboo—a bamboo bag.

“Not bad at all.”
“Right? So I should buy this blouse, the skirt I’m wearing now, and that jacket I tried on earlier.”
“The shoes looked good too. Why not pick those up as well?”
“Do you think so?”
“With a pretty face like yours, everything looks good on you.”
“Oh, Mother, really.”

Choi Bo-kyung smiled and sat down beside Jo Deok-rye.

“I should get the gray suit and the silk two-tone shawl.”
“That’s a great choice. The one you tried on earlier looked so elegant and refined. And it’s convenient to drape lightly over your shoulders for various occasions.”
“Until last season, the designs felt a bit tired, but this time there are quite a few pieces I really like.”

Jo Deok-rye, delighted by the satisfying shopping experience, flipped through the catalog as she spoke.

“I heard they changed designers, and the designs seem to have become more refined somehow.”
“I heard the new designer is from the United States and incredibly young, but his name is….”
“Jacob Thompson.”
“Ah yes, I saw his name in a fashion magazine.”

As I climbed the stairs, half-listening to their conversation, I froze at the mention of Jacob Thompson’s name.
He was the legendary designer who had dramatically revived Gucci, a luxury brand that had been falling apart with mediocre storytelling, and created his own brand bearing his name, achieving massive success.

‘Come to think of it, this was around the time when Gucci broke out of its slump and made a dramatic comeback with Jacob Thompson at the helm.’

My mind raced quickly. I knew well how much luxury companies would grow once China opened up as a massive consumer market.

“Gucci hasn’t completely succeeded in its revival yet. This is the last chance to buy the brand at a bargain price.”

I turned my head back, realizing I had almost missed this investment opportunity by accident.
In the living room, Jo Deok-rye and my sister-in-law were still happily discussing Gucci’s new collection, completely unaware.
I resumed climbing the stairs and pulled out my phone from my inner pocket, calling Landon Shore.

[Yes, boss.]
“There’s something I need you to handle.”
[What is it, sir?]
“Look into acquiring Gucci. Find out if there’s a way to take it over.”
[Pardon?!]

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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